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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. staff — employees
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — a subject
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. staff — employees
  14. field — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rule — a law
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com